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How can quick, small loans help members affected by a government shutdown?

Currently, disagreements over funding for Donald Trump’s proposed border wall have partially shut down the U.S. government. In this article, we’ll explore what that shutdown means for government employees. We’ll also suggest how credit unions can support their government employee members during the shutdown by offering quick, small loans.

Regardless of your political leanings, one thing is clear: the shutdown is a serious threat to hundreds of thousands of American families. Fortunately, credit unions are well-positioned to assist members experiencing a loss of income.

Who’s Affected by the Partial Government Shutdown?

The government is not limited to politicians working in D.C., nor is it limited to state and local politicians. The government shutdown affects several departments, and some are seeing more fallout than others.

Funding for the following departments has expired:

The Department of Homeland Security

The Justice Department

The Department of the Interior

The State Department

The Department of Housing and Urban Development

Unfortunately, that’s not a complete list. There are other parts of the government that are also experiencing a funding crisis.

More Casualties of the Government Shutdown

Here’s another list of affected bodies,
agencies, and people affected by a lack of government funding. These agencies aren’t
completely without funding, as much of their work is considered essential. Nevertheless,
large portions of their workforce are furloughed, meaning that they’re on leave
without pay.

Nasa

Nearly 17,500 employees—almost 85% of Nasa’s
workforce—are furloughed. Critical experiments and studies are on hold, many of
which may need to be restarted from scratch.

Internal Revenue Service

Because tax season is nearly upon us, the IRS is
retaining more employees than they would at another time of the year. However,
more than 50% of IRS employees are furloughed, which will make it difficult for
people to get help during tax time.

National Institutes of Health

The NIH continues to attempt to provide
critical updates as they can, but without full funding, their coverage of
health and medical research may be delayed.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The CDC had plans to furlough 61% of their
employees. However, with a current flu outbreak spreading across the U.S.,
they’re fighting for additional funding to combat the flu and other
communicable maladies.

Military Families

Active-duty military personnel
continue to work unpaid during the government shutdown. However, millions of
non-active military members are furloughed, and their families are affected
accordingly.

What This Means for Government Employees

Unfortunately, the deadline for
government funding is past. Government employees may not be earning paychecks,
but their bills are still coming. Rents and mortgages, auto payments, student
loan bills, credit card debt, groceries, transportation, medical expenses and
more do not shut down with the government.

The holiday season is an expensive one. Buying presents, traveling, and preparing meals takes its toll on even the healthiest wallets. For government employees who wish to celebrate, it may mean dipping into savings, racking up credit card debt, or getting personal loans to make ends meet while the paychecks stop coming.

Most families don’t have much time to prepare or respond to this sudden loss of income. Few credit unions have the time or ability to build a support system for their affected members, who need help immediately.

How Can Credit Unions Help?

Credit unions who offer small dollar loans to their members may have an opportunity to help their members maintain solvency. Quick, small loans are not the same as payday loans, and they don’t carry the same hefty interest rates.

Offering smalldollar loans to government employees may keep them from turning to unscrupulous lenders. For credit unions that don’t currently have a small, quick loans platform, they have options. QCash offers a turnkey solution to underwrite, approve, and fund small dollar loans for credit union members in less than 60 seconds.

These loans can help government employees make ends meet while they wait for funding to return.

Credit unions can also offer these loans to other members in need. To learn more about what kind of situations quick, small loans can help members with, read the attached links below, or download our Member Crisis Guide to see how your credit union can support members through times of financial distress.